Cooktop appliances, such as, e.g., cooktop range or oven range appliances, generally include one or more heated portions for heating or cooking food items within a cooking utensil placed on the heated portion. The heated portions utilize one or more heating elements to output heat, which is transferred to the cooking utensil and food item or items within the cooking utensil. Typically, a controller or other control mechanism regulates the temperature of or the heat output by the heating element to a temperature or a heat output selected by a user of the cooktop appliance. For example, the controller may cycle the heating element between an activated, or on, state and a deactivated, or off, state such that the average temperature or heat output over each on/off cycle approximates the selected temperature or heat output.
However, the transfer of heat to the cooking utensil and/or food items may cause the food items or cooking utensil to overheat or may otherwise cause unwanted or unsafe conditions of the cooktop. Although additional components such as, e.g., sensors, relays, electronic controls, and/or thermal switches could be used to limit the transfer of heat to the cooking utensil and/or food item, additional components would increase the cost of the cooktop appliance. Further, adding components could negatively impact the manufacturability and interfere with the cooking performance of the cooktop.
Accordingly, a cooktop appliance with features for limiting the maximum temperature reached by a cooking utensil or food items placed in thermal contact with a heating element of the cooktop appliance would be useful. A heating element that limits the maximum temperature reached by a cooking utensil or food items placed in thermal contact with the heating element would be beneficial.